Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;chaseize&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Charm Chrysanthemum cultivar is provided that is the result of a controlled breeding program. Attractive small daisy-like blossoms are formed in profusion in clusters having green disc florets that change to yellow with maturity and two rows of pink ray florets that change to light pink with maturity. The growth habit is bushy, dense, and well-branched with short internodes and yields a generally uniform and spherical overall plant. The foliage is small and gray-green in coloration with near white nervures, and blends nicely with the blossom coloration. The response time is approximately eight weeks. The natural flowering time is late-October. When mature the blossoms emit pollen that is orange in coloration. The plant grows well in pots.

BOTANICAL/COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION

[0001]Ajania pacificum/Decorative Pot Mum

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

[0002] cv. ‘Chaseize’

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum, botanically known as Ajania pacificum, and hereafter isreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Chaseize’.

[0004] The new cultivar of the present invention was created at Nuaillé,France during the course of a controlled breeding program. The seedparent (i.e., the female parent) was an unnamed plant of the species,and the pollen parent (i.e., the male parent) was designated ‘92/27/3’.Neither parent was patented in the United States. The seeds resultingfrom the cross were sown and small plants were obtained which werephysically and biologically different from each other. Selective studyresulted in the identification of a single plant of the new cultivar ofthe present invention.

[0005] It was found that the new Charm Chrysanthemum cultivar of thepresent invention displays:

[0006] (a) a bushy, dense, well-branched, and generally spherical growthhabit with short internodes,

[0007] (b) profusely forms attractive small daisy-like blossoms havinggreen disc florets that change to yellow with maturity, and two rows ofpink ray florets that change to light pink with maturity,

[0008] (c) forms decorative small gray-green leaves with near whitenervures,

[0009] (d) forms orange-colored pollen when the blossoms are mature, and

[0010] (e) an ability to grow well in pots.

[0011] The new cultivar can be grown singly or in clumps in pots. Italso can be grown in the landscape. The yellow and pink blossoms blendnicely with the gray-green foliage. The plant is self-branching and theinternodes are short. Pinching is helpful to further enhance branchingand produces a large number of shoots; however, such pinching is notnecessary since the plant already is inherently well branched. Thenatural flowering time is late-October.

[0012] Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by the use of cuttingsas performed at Nuaillé, France, in a controlled environment hasdemonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar are firmlyfixed and are retained through successive generations of asexualpropagation.

[0013] ‘Chaseize’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light, day length, contact with pesticides and/or subjection to grownregulation treatments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

[0014] The accompanying FIG. 1 depicts a typical eighteen week-old plantof ‘Chaseize’ cultivar while growing in a pot in a greenhouse atNuaillé, France. The attractive compact spherical growth habit, with asubstantially homogenous coverage of yellow and pink blossoms, andgray-green foliage with near white nervures are illustrated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The plants described were grown in pots in a greenhouse atNuaillé, France. No growth regulation was used. The growing conditionsapproximate those commonly utilized for the commercial production ofdecorative pot mums.

[0016] General appearance: Bushy and dense with a generally sphericalgrowth habit. The internodes are short and commonly measureapproximately 10 to 25 mm on average. When a cutting is placed duringweek 23 in a four-liter pot, the resulting plant commonly will display aheight of approximately 30 to 32 cm on average and a width ofapproximately 50 to 55 cm on average at the end of flowering during lateOctober.

[0017] Foliage: Attractive gray-green. The main exposed nervures arenear white in coloration.

[0018] Flowers: The attractive small daisy-like blossoms are formed inclusters. The flower coverage is substantially homogeneous across theplant. Accordingly, the flowers are so closely grouped as tosubstantially cover the circumference of the dome-shaped plant. The discflorets initially are green and change to yellow with maturity. The rayflorets are present in two rows and are pink and change to light pinkwith maturity. The flower diameter when mature commonly ranges fromapproximately 10 to 15 mm. Orange pollen commonly is displayed in themature blossoms.

[0019] Flower time: The natural flowering time is late-October.

[0020] Response time: The time between the beginning of the short dayperiod and the flowering date at normal temperature and light intensityis approximately eight weeks.

[0021] Usage: Decorative pot mum.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Charm Chrysanthemum plantthat displays: (a) a bushy, dense, well-branched, and generallyspherical growth habit with short internodes, (b) profusely formsattractive small daisy-like blossoms having green disc florets thatchange to yellow with maturity, and two rows of pink ray florets thatchange to light pink with maturity, (c) forms decorative smallgray-green leaves with near white nervures, (d) forms orange-coloredpollen when the blossoms are mature, and (e) an ability to grow well inpots; substantially as illustrated and described.